Courtesy photo
The audience spent time before and after the talk examining the extensive collection of natural artifacts.

DEERFIELD – More than 100 Bear-Paw members and friends packed the Coe-Brown Northwood Academy multi-purpose room earlier this month to hear Vermont naturalist and author Mary Holland give her talk and slide presentation at the Bear-Paw annual meeting.

Holland’s field of study and writing is observing and recording the changes in the natural world as the season’s progress. Her slide show began with her own pictures of plant and animal activities in March and continued with engaging animal photos from the rest of the year. The audience spent time before and after the talk examining the extensive collection of natural artifacts she had brought with her and purchasing her book Naturally Curious.

This presentation followed the business portion of the Bear-Paw Annual Meeting at which Executive Director, Daniel Kern, and board members reported the organization’s progress. This included a big thank you to the members who have continued to keep Bear-Paw on sound financial footing through their support and news that Bear-Paw is moving toward more than 7,000 acres under protection.

Awards were presented to Frank Mitchell, one of Bear-Paw’s founders who is retiring from the board, and to Mark West for his four years of service as chair of the board. The Town of Hooksett received an award for donating easements on two large town properties, and the Conservation Citizen of the Year award went to auctioneer Kathleen Pearson who donated her services at the first Bear-Paw auction this past November. Board members also announced that the 2013 Bear-Paw auction will be held on Saturday November 2nd at the Elks Hall in Epsom.

Following the hearty lunch of soups and stews donated by board members and volunteers, sandwiches of the bread donated by Northwood diner, and cookies baked by the Coe-Brown culinary students, about 30 of the attendees headed out for a hike on the T.L Storer Boy Scout property, a current Bear-Paw conservation project.

Bear-Paw Regional Greenways is a non-profit land trust with a mission to permanently conserve a network of lands that protects the region’s water, wildlife habitat, forests, and farmland. Bear-Paw now holds easements or land protecting 47 properties and 5,298 acres. Established by resident volunteers, Bear-Paw works to conserve open space in Allenstown, Candia, Deerfield, Epsom, Hooksett, Northwood, Nottingham, Raymond, and Strafford through outreach, education, and the completion of land protection projects.

For information about Bear-Paw events, how to become a member, land protection options for landowners or volunteering with the land trust, please contact Daniel Kern at Bear-Paw Regional Greenways, Post Office Box 19, Deerfield, NH 03037, 603 463-9400, or info@bear-paw.org. You can also visit their website at www.bear-paw.org